Itch.io Situation, Pogress and AI Art

Hello everyone, here is The_Criator

ITCH.IO'S MASS SHADOW BAN & THE FUTURE OF BGaD

Let’s address the elephant in the room first: Itch.io has fully surrendered to payment processors and is now shadow-banning anything tagged as adult or NSFW. Games like Adastra, Far Beyond the World, Lyre, and many other FVNs are effectively being erased from visibility—no search results or recommendations.

IThankfully, Between Gods and Demons doesn’t have explicit content (yet). But let me be clear: this is modern-day book burning. Corporations silencing art they deem "unacceptable" while pretending to be progressive. Capitalism always finds a way to screw us, even in our little corner of the internet.

So, here’s my stance:

• If I ever add NSFW scenes, they won’t be in the main upload. Instead, I’ll provide a separate link for an optional patch. That way, the main game stays safe from Itch’s puritanical filters.
• I do NOT support this decision by Itch.io, and I encourage everyone to speak out against it. Censorship hurts creators and players alike. Please sign this change.org petition: https://www.change.org/p/tell-mastercard-visa-activist-groups-stop-controlling-what-we-can-watch-read-or-play

DEV UPDATE: STORY PROGRESS

This isn't much of a progress, but more of a reminder that: No, BGaD wasn't cancelled. I’ve written the entire story twice now, refining, cutting, expanding, and polishing every chapter. Every rewrite makes it stronger, and I’m genuinely excited for you all to experience it.

THE UNCOMFORTABLE QUESTION: AI & FREE ASSETS FOR BACKGROUNDS?

Here’s the hard part: I don’t have the funds to commission every single background for the VN. As much as I’d love to have everything hand-drawn, I still work for a half minimum age for my parents. So, I need your honest opinion:

Would you be okay with me using:

• Free-to-use edited photo assets (like a bit blurred like you see in otehrs VNs, such Soulcreek)
• AI-generated backgrounds (only for environments, never characters or CGs)

Characters and CGs will always be hand-drawn or commissioned. This is purely a budget compromise for non-interactive backdrops. If the majority is against it, I’ll try to re-use as much backgrounds as possible.

That's all for now, stay safe

--- The_Criator